Hillary Clinton Attends Dedication Of Library Named In Her Honor

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Marian Lacey, Vice-President of the CALS Board of Directors and library Director Bobby Roberts.

Credit Michael Hibblen/ KUAR News

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she hopes a new children’s library in Little Rock will encourage reading among kids at an early age.

Monday she attended a dedication ceremony where the facility was formally named in her honor.

The board of the Central Arkansas Library System voted last month to name it for Clinton, in recognition of her work on issues regarding children's health and education while she was Arkansas' first lady.

When she arrived, Clinton first sat down with a group of young children to read them The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

During the ceremony in the library's auditorium, Clinton called the dedication an honor and said parents reading to their kids is one of the best ways to encourage learning.

“700 neurons a minute are connected up in those early years and the more you can read and talk with your children and give them opportunities for experiences like they will have here at this library and the learning center, the better prepared they will be for school and for life,” Clinton said.

“I cannot imagine a more exciting place anywhere in the country right now than this library and what it can mean to so many children and their families now and in the future.”

Her husband, former President Bill Clinton was also in attendance, though he did not speak during the ceremony.

Of course Mrs. Clinton is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2016. The only mention of that came from Marian Lacey, vice-president of the Library’s board.

“We are willing and we are hoping and holding with restrained anticipation what her future might bring,” Lacey said to cheers from the crowd, adding that “only Secretary Hillary Clinton can answer that.”

Mrs. Clinton responded with a smile.

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Library and Learning Center, at 4800 W. 10th Street, offers interactive things for children to do, and 21,000 books, DVDs and CDs that can be checked out.